Welcome back to Hello Charlotte everyone I really hope that you guys are enjoying it. So far I'm having a lot of fun with this book:). Please remember to VOTE and COMMENT it means a lot too and I like chatting with you guys. Please remember to click the video it goes with the chapter. ~XOXO BUTTERBALL~

The song is counting stars by One Republic.

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-Charlotte-

I stood at the back entrance to the village waiting for the sun to rise. Just in case the snow in the field facing the front entrance hadn't melted.

Snow is the last thing I want to deal with especially, since I'm already going to be passing through a mountain.

I scowled as I eyed my map. Ivo was looking over my shoulder without saying anything as he seemingly mentally mapped out our route to the capital.

At this point, I'd gotten so used to him doing stuff like this that I didn't say anything.

"So as soon as we get to the capital, I need to find Kessel," He reminded me.

I winced as a sharp pain flashed through my skull before leaving as quickly as it came.

So this is what a hangover is like. That wine was sweet but maybe drinking myself into a drunken slumber was a bad idea.

I jumped slightly when I realized that Ivo was extremely close seemingly searching my face.

"I warned you not to drink so much when we had to get up this early. I know that you're used to downing liquor like water but even your body has its limits." He said as he leaned back.

I let out a huff as I flicked my tail against the ground. "You never miss a chance to say I told you so do you?" I grumbled as I massaged my temples as the throbbing pain came back.

"Here try this." A familiar voice told me.

I turned to my right to see Atlas and Delilah standing next to me. In his hand, he was holding out this odd looking plant root.

A small smile spread across my face as I took the plant from him. "You came," I said as I sniffed the plant.

"Yeah, I figured that it'd be for the best. Both mom and Vel need time especially considering what happened last night," he told me softly.

Delilah grinned at me as she pointed at the plant I'd been given. "I saw how much you were drinking and I decided to grow that for you. It should help with the hangover," she told me in her usually cheery voice.

I took a small bite of it then let out a slight hiss as the taste of spicy ginger filled my mouth and nose. However, I choked it down trying to ignore the fact that my tongue was trying to burn its way out of my mouth. "By the way, Vel showed me a picture of you and Caesar together last night. You could've told me you two were identical twins. That's unusual for chimeras but, it sounded interesting," I told him.

Atlas grinned at me. "People used to get us confused when we were little, so instead of using our looks as a judge of who we were they had to rely on our slightly different scents."

I grinned back at him as I showed him the map. "That makes a lot of sense actually."

"So we're heading for the capital. We'll have to pass through three other towns and cities if you're going this route," Atlas told me as he traced the route with one claw.

I shrugged. "As long as there's no more snow for awhile I'll be happy," I sighed. "By the way did you make sure to tell everyone goodbye?"

I began walking toward the exit.

Atlas nodded as he walked beside me. "Yeah I did, I have a feeling that even Vel would've panicked if I just up and disappeared."

As we entered the forest I heard Delilah let out a loud squeal then, she ran past me into the bushes.

"Fucking crazy nature nymph," Ivo muttered under his breath.

Atlas let out a chuckle as he rubbed the back of his neck. "She'll be back soon and probably with either flower crowns or an arm full of leaves, branches, and flowers."

Ivo scowled. "Oh I already know, she used to do it back in our world too especially when I was younger."

I let out a snicker as a slight smirk covered my face. "Younger than what? The beginning of humanity?" I teased as I flicked my tail out.

Ivo sneered at me. "Truthfully kinda. I'm older than the overgrown lizards that helped make you.Which last time I checked that was older than humanity."

I blinked at him slowly. "I don't know why I expected you to be anything less than literally ancient," I mumbled mostly to myself.

Ivo chuckled before he looked around briefly almost like he was looking for something specific. "To tell you the truth Delilah's actually the older one between the two of us."

Atlas began choking on the water he'd been drinking. "How old is she exactly?" He asked in between coughs.

Ivo shook his head. "No way am I saying her age. Last time I mentioned it in passing to one of her contracts she gave me a nice dose of some hallucinogenic plant in my drink. I woke up next to a volcano with a raptor licking my face."

I began laughing, my tail rapidly moving around in the dirt as the image of a tiny reptile licking Ivo's face as he lay next to a flaming death trap floated around in my head.

Ivo crossed his arms as he scowled at me. "If you keep making fun of me I'll put lemons in your food when you least expect it."

I rolled my eyes. "Prehistoric asshole," I mumbled under my breath.

I jumped when Delilah suddenly dropped down out of a tree in front of me a wide grin on her face and smudges of dirt streaking her pale skin.
In her arms was a large bundle of purple leaves some of which she was eating.

Atlas chuckled as she came up to him. "Did you have fun?"

"Of course I did! I mean just look at the colors on these leaves, they're so pretty plus they taste really sweet." She exclaimed not bothering to contain her excitement.

"And they're probably poisonous to everyone except you," Ivo pointed out.

Delilah pouted as she ate the leaves like they were chips. "Oh be quiet you angry cannibal."

I looked around as we walked. "Truthfully this place is very beautiful. How often did you come here to hunt Atlas?" I asked him.

"I came out very often to hunt but I also came out here to get away from everything. Plus it made Delilah happy and when Delilah's happy she tends to mellow out. So bringing her here reduced the chances of her slashing my mother's throat with a sharpened tree branch," Atlas told me as he let out a chuckle.

"I have no clue what you're talking about Atlas," Delilah said as she looked away.

It's so interesting to watch those two interact with each other. It's worlds apart from how Ivo and I treat each other.

I looked at Ivo when I noticed he was staring at me.

"Stop reading my thoughts." I hissed flicking my tongue out at him like a snake.

Ivo reached out catching my tongue between his thumb and forefinger.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Let go," I said in an incredibly muffled voice.

He smirked before turning slightly to Delilah. "Delilah! Charlotte wants a hug and kiss on the cheek," he called out before releasing my tongue.

I saw Delilah instantly drop her leaves on the ground as she began running at me before leaping into the air. I stepped to the side which caused Delilah to go tumbling into a small lake.

A few seconds later she swam to the surface a lily pad in her mouth and a small frog in her left hand. I smiled at her, there was just something about her enthusiasm that made me grin.

I reached out and pulled her up a moment later she shook her body like an animal flinging water everywhere and on each one of us. Atlas stared at her for a few moments before looking away frantically the tips of his ears turning bright red.

Ivo looked at Delilah then he sighed. "Woman, do you even know how to wear proper clothes? If you're not running around naked then you might as well be. By the way, your tits still look fucking fantastic," he complimented her as he let out a brief snicker.

I let out a groan as I massaged my temples, I still had a slight headache and Ivo wasn't really helping it. "This coming from the demon cannibal who loves wearing suits when it's nearly one hundred and ten degrees out. My god, you're such a romantic," I sighed.

Delilah giggled before she tackled me with a hug. "I don't mind after being his mentor for years I learned to get used to him."

I nearly choked on my own tongue as she petted me between my horns. "You had to teach Ivo? I feel sorry for you, I'm so sorry," I told her gently.

"My father, our world's king hired her as my teacher since she's my mother's best friend. He mostly wanted to keep me out of trouble so that I wouldn't go around killing too many other supernatural creatures, he knew that Delilah had the most chance of keeping me in line. Therions are actually very rare now. Even before paranormals revealed themselves to humans, we were usually summoned at young ages for others to consume our blood and flesh in mobs. It contains a lot of demonic energy since we eat other supernaturals," Ivo explained calmly.

"What is your father like anyway?" I asked mainly out of curiosity.

Delilah let out a small hum before she held my hand. "King Vincent is demanding but he can be pretty kind though. Whenever I came over to train with and teach Ivo he'd always set out some herbal tea and fruit for me," she told me cheerfully.

"My father is strict as hell, he wasn't the type of person to yell at you if you made a mistake either. His anger was more cold and calculated. Which made his intimidation and torture tactics pretty frightening at times," Ivo explained calmly.

I scowled as I looked up at the sky.

I wonder if my parents hadn't been the way they were would I have a need to summon Ivo in the first place?

"Oh yeah, I forgot to ask you what does Kessel look like?" I asked him.

Ivo frowned as he glanced at me. "I thought that you stole my summoning circles from him?"

"I did but I can't remember for the life of me what he looked like. I remember long platinum blonde hair and silver eyes," I said softly only to let out a hiss as a sharp pain ripped through my head.

Delilah glanced at me. "Is the root I gave you not working?"

I shook my head. "No, it worked this is just a small headache. It happens sometimes," I reassured her.

"Kessel is that leader of the Aveon religious faction right? I think since he lives in the capital he gives a lot of sermons to the city. One in the early morning and one at night," Atlas told me.

Ivo let out a sigh as he crossed his arms. "He's a creature like me and Delilah, however, his power is to create life. For example, he can turn a car into an elephant or a piece of paper into a bird. While Delilah can only make plant life out of nothing. However, to make these creatures he actually needs something for it, he can't make a living creature from absolutely nothing though. Kessel's powers and mine are completely different, I absorb things stealing life and power from other creatures to fuel my own," Ivo explained slowly and calmly.

However his thoughts seemed to be somewhere else, his eyes had a far off look in them that I'd gotten used to recognizing whenever I spoke about Kessel.

I wonder how much more there is between them.